Joy for top students as KCPE results out

A girl from Nairobi’s New Elite Academy, Tracy Achieng Okwatch, registered one of the best scores in this year’s Standard Eight exams, whose results were released on Monday.

She had 441 marks out of the possible 500 in the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams and was followed by Kevin Teveen, also of New Elite Academy, with 439 marks.

But this fell short of last year’s top scores by Brian Kimutai of Stewards Light Academy in Nandi and Daphine Akoth of Golden Elite, Kisumu, who had 444 marks and followed by Uniter Mpekethu of Kathigiri B, Meru, Felix Robert Boera of Vitale HGM Makueni, Jonathan Kipkirui of St Mary’s Academy Ruaraka and Emmanuel Mulayi of Thorn Tree School, Kajiado, with 442 marks. Jully Lydia Awuor of MM Shah, Kisumu, and Yujin Mosongo of Kenvic School, Kajiado, had 441 marks.

This year, other top performers were: Alex Momanyi of MM Shah Kisumu, Ndung’u Munene of Githunguri Township in Kiambu and Keith Ndung’u of Sukari Presbyterian School, Nairobi, all with 438.

Following in that order were: Valeria Wanjiru Muika of Moi Educational Centre, Nairobi, Brian Muteithei of St Mary’s Ruaraka and Christine Mwende, each with 437 marks. Also recording a score of 437 were Sharon Rotich Chemutai and Wilson Nyabocha both of Hill School, Kakamega.

Nathan Nyakeyo of EBC Kipkaren in Uasin Gishu County had 436 marks while Isaac Wekulo of Little Lambs School, Eldoret, had 435 marks.

Patricia Wairimu Kamau of Thika Memorial Church Primary School, Geoffrey Kaleli of Moi Educational Centre and Sandra Mwangi of Makini, Hezron Kipkemboi Ng’etich of Kericho Boys Boarding and Seth Baraza Wanyonyi of Isanjiro, Kakamega and Rufinus Ogutu of Hill School, Kakamega each obtained 434 marks.

Also making it to the achievers’ list were Naomi Chepkirui of Chelsa Academy in Bomet and James Kaluna of Little Lambs School, Eldoret, with 433 marks.

Nicholas Isahi of Mululu Academy, Vihiga, Linda Chepkirui of Chelsa Academy, Bomet and Doreen Atieno Oduor of Hill School, Kakamega, secured 432 marks. Batlet Omondi of Golden Elite, James Mbugua of Moi Educational Centre and Saisi Anunda of Precious Hope School in Kisii and Luis Musoke of Nyambunwa Academy, also in Kisii and Dona Nyaboka all had 431 marks apiece.

The results Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi released in Nairobi showed 5,552 candidates scored more than 401 marks and 52,829 had between 351 and 401 marks.

In total, 443,814 candidates — or 49.61 per cent — scored 251 marks and above, meaning that nearly half of the candidates scored half of the marks tenable in KCPE. Conversely, 417,483 candidates obtained marks below 250.

Overall, there were 880,487 candidates who sat last year’s exam, a 4.85 per cent increase above last year’s 839,759.

There was near equity in terms of gender enrolment, with boys numbering 443,258 or 50.34 per cent and girls 437,228 or 49.66 per cent.

The figures nearly mirrored the 2013 statistics, where males comprised 426,369 (50.77 per cent) and females 413,390 representing 49.23 per cent.

Also sitting the exams were two candidates from South Sudan.

LUMPED IN CLUSTERS

In a marked departure from tradition, individual candidates or schools were not ranked and the scores were only lumped in clusters of 50 without the names or scores of the candidates.

This followed a directive issued early this month by the Education ministry, stating that it will stop ranking candidates and schools to eliminate examination irregularities.

As a result, top performing schools were starved of the drama that usually accompanied the release of the results, when they celebrated and showcased their best candidates to the world.

Releasing the results, Prof Kaimenyi outlined more than 10 reasons why the ministry had stopped ranking schools, among them, drilling of candidates, forced repetition, culling and registering weak candidates in satellite centres and disparities among schools in terms of resources.

However, education stakeholders criticised the new policy.

Cheating in exams increased marginally to 1,702 candidates or 0.19 per cent, compared to 1,576 cases in 2013, which also represented 0.19 per cent of the candidature then.

Kiswahili and English recorded higher cases of cheating and the Cabinet Secretary directed the exams council, the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development and the Quality Standards body to investigate the persistence of the problem.

The commonest form of cheating was collusion, accounting for 99.9 per cent of recorded cases and the ministry warned that severe action would be taken against invigilators who abet cheating.

Cheating was recorded in 32 counties. However, there were 15 counties that maintained exam fidelity, including Taita Taveta, Tana River, Lamu, Nyandarua, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Machakos, Embu, Trans Nzoia, West Pokot, Bungoma, Siaya and Vihiga.

Prof Kaimenyi indicated that about 607,000 candidates, who scored more 200 marks will get Form One places, raising the transition to 78 per cent, up from the current 76. More than 280,000 candidates will miss Form One places.

He praised efforts to increase girls’ enrolment, singling out some of counties that had made progress in that direction: Taita Taveta, Kirinyaga, Machakos, Makueni, Embu, Kiambu, Trans Nzoia, Tharaka Nithi, Nakuru, U Gishu, Kisii, Siaya and Nyandarua.

However, he was appalled by the worsening gender disparities in five counties, where girls comprised just a third of the candidates. The most affected were Turkana with a boy to girl ration of 62:38, Samburu 59:41, Garissa 67:33, Wajir 67:33 and Mandera 68:32. Nation, Monday December 29, 2014

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